Willy Christie - greenheart

Willy Christie

Greenheart
self-released; 2014

3.8 out of 5

By J Simpson

Greenheart, from Kansas City's Willy Christie, is a rainbow bridge, connecting the mud and dirt of the Earth with celestial wisdom. Delicate, emotive acoustic instruments - guitars and violins - spiral towards the heaven, as Christie's vocals chant devotional hymns to the Earth, the Soul, the origin of Art, and our selves.

Christie cites intricate guitar masters like Nick Drake and Jose Gonzales as influences, so you just know Greenheart is going to be full of glistening harmonics and rainbow arpeggios. However, Christie knows when to keep it simple and subdued, like on "Horizon Mine,” which allows a real swooning hypnosis to take over, as you feel your feet begin to work on the earth.

While most of Greenheart is earthy to the point of being pagan, Christie interrupts the acoustic nature worship with "Maya,” which reflects the nature of that illusory veil with poetic, contradictory lyrics that conjure Neptunian worlds, while the music sways with the gentle languor of Pink Floyd's "San Trope.”

Greenheart was conceived as an alternative to Christie's work in heavier bands like   Bobcat Barker. The simplicity serves his music well, making it more heartfelt and personal, not to mention sparse and unadorned, which allows him to fill in the breathing spaces between his six strings with subtle production tricks like the faraway, knocking percussion on "Horizon Mine,” or the swirling drone of "Gaia.” All of Greenheart was recorded by Christie himself, in his bedroom studio with him handling all the mixing and mastering as well. Just goes to show that you never know where inspired work is going to come from, and to never stop turning over rocks.

Willy Christie seems like a passionate, heartfelt human being and it comes across in his music. His music is spiritual and devotional, while still holding a heart of darkness. Greenheart straddles the worlds; between darkness and light; between the Earth and the sky; between the human and the beyond.